Improvement in life-preserving garments



ELIZABETH a. coaswELL Life-Preserving Garments.

Patented August 12, 1873.

No. MMSI.

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ELIZABETH E. COGSWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-PRESERVING GARMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,631, dated August 12, 18731; application filed June 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH R. Goes- WELL, of the city and county of New York, in the State New York, have invented a new and Improved Life-Preserver, to prevent loss of life by drowning and I do hereby declare that the following specication, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makel and use the same.

The various life-preservers heretofore in use have been found unreliable in many emergencies; those depending` on the buoyancy of air were rendered useless by even slight faults in construction, imperfections in the materia-l used, by accidental punctures, however minute, and by those who were inexperienced being unable to properly inflate them and confine the air. Such as were composed of cork or other light material were cumbersome, and more or less difficult of adjustment to the person, and therefore, in many instances, of no avail in-moments of panic and bewilderment; furthermore, the life-preservers, above mentioned, were liable to become displaced by the force of the waves and the struggles of the wearers, and thereby rendered worse than useless.

My object is to provide a life-preserver that shall be at all times buoyant and reliable; that does not depend on exactness of manufacture or perfection of material; that is so readily manageable, and of such a character, that any one, however inexperienced or panicstricken, shall be able to properly adjust and secure the same to the person without risk of its subsequent displacement. My invention consists in certain novel means whereby jackets or garmentsy to be worn upon the upper part of the person, stuffed with buoyant material, such as granulated cork, are caused to give a maximum of buoyant power, so applied as to be most advantageously exerted to secure the safety of the person using the same, with the least possible impediment to the free movement of the limbs and comfort of the body while the jacket is being worn, whether in the water or not.

The accompanying drawings represent a garment comprising an application of my invention.

The same letters refer to like parts.

Figure l is a front view.

The body of the jacket may be made to open in front, as indicated in Fig. 1, and is made of double thicknesses, of any suitable fabric, with granulated cork placed between, the said fabric being'quilted through and through to confine the cork, as it were, in compartments, and insure its retention in place at the different parts of the said body.

A jacket-body made in this manner wouldv possess a certain degree of buoyant power, and when worn would secure a measure of safety to the wearer; but to insure that degree of buoyancy, combined with freedom of movement and convenience to the person, essential in a practically advantageous and effective life-preserver, additional buoyant material must be added thereto, which is done as follows: At that portion of the jacket in line immediately with the arm-pits is attached a iioat, C, made of any appropriate fabric and stu'ed with ground or granulated cork. When the jacket is buttoned or closed about the person this float C serves as a supplemental life-preserver, and from its position tends to keep the head and shoulders of the wearer above the surface of the water.

In order to secure that lifting of the breast and head of the wearer, when partially submerged, above the surface of the water, essential to ease of breathing, and, consequently to presence of mind, by the aid of a quantity of cork, which, from its bulk, would be inadmissible, if permanently aflixed to the upper portion of the jacket, thereA are connected to the lower edges thereof, by flexible connections, the iloats'd, preferably two in front an'd two behind, as will be understood by reference to Figs. l and 2. l/Vhen not submerged these iloats depend loosely, something after the manner of skirts, out of the way, and affording, practically, no inconvenience to the wearer; but when the latter is in the water these floats d rise automatically against the front and back of the jacket, and by their buoyant power effectually assist the action jacket, made as described, of the ioats d, of the latter in sustaining the person in that having exible connection therewith, and zu'- postion most conducive or essential to safety. ranged to operate in the manner set forth, for Like the other parts of the apparatus, these the purpose specified.

Hoa-ts are of cork, inclosed in a. suitable fab- ELIZABETH R. COGSWELL.

ric. Witnesses:

What I claim as my invention is C. T. WIMPLE,

The combination, with the corkstuffed E. DWIGHT KENDALL. 

